A Master and Disciple Who Dislike Each Other

The man with the mechanical arm walked up to the bar, sat down, grinned, and said:
"I heard from Borsalino that the liquor here isn't bad."

Ron replied softly, "It won't disappoint you, Zephyr-sensei."

The newcomer was none other than the former Marine Admiral, "Black Arm" Zephyr!

Throughout his life, he had trained countless talents. Many of the currently famous Vice Admirals, including the three sitting Admirals, were his students.

But his life could be described as a massive tragedy...

He upheld justice his entire life, always capturing pirates instead of killing them. Yet, his family received no mercy from pirates, and his students were completely slaughtered.

In the original story, Zephyr's death was ordered by Akainu, executed by Kizaru, and Aokiji even dug his grave...

What filial disciples!

"The wine here is much better than Spanish wine."

Kizaru also walked over to sit at the bar, but chose a spot far away from Zephyr. It was obvious that the relationship between this master and disciple wasn't very harmonious.

Not long after, Ram brought over two bottles of Moutai, placing them in front of the two respectively:
"Here is your liquor, guests. Please enjoy."

"Yeah," Zephyr nodded with a smile, immediately uncapping the bottle and taking a large swig.

Gulp, gulp...

As the liquor slid down his throat, the mellow and sweet aroma characteristic of Moutai refreshed Zephyr immensely. Just as Kizaru said, the liquor here was indeed much better than Spanish wine!

"Not bad."

Zephyr couldn't help but praise, a smile finally appearing on his usually stern face.

Beside him, Kizaru curled his lips silently.

"How do you two have the time to come here for a drink today?" Ron asked with a smile.

One had founded the "NEO Marines" to hunt pirates daily, while the other was a Marine Admiral. Normally, they had a mountain of work to handle; how could they find the time to travel so far just for a drink?

"Sakazuki and Kuzan are dueling this afternoon for the position of Fleet Admiral," Zephyr said with a complex expression after taking a sip. "The location is Punk Hazard. Since your tavern happens to be on the Sabaody Archipelago, we stopped by for a drink before heading out."

"Since they are both your students, who do you think will become the new Fleet Admiral?" Ron asked out of curiosity.

Hearing this, Zephyr fell silent.

Aokiji seemed lazy, but he had great relations with his subordinates and was highly popular. If it came to managing the Marines, he was undoubtedly the best choice.

On the contrary, Akainu had a fiery temper and ruthless methods, lacking the demeanor of a leader.

However... ever since Zephyr's family and students were slaughtered by pirates, his mindset had shifted slightly. In truth... those pirates deserved to be completely wiped out!

And Akainu's uncompromising attitude toward pirates was excellent and highly commendable... If he became the Fleet Admiral, these seas would surely transform into a different landscape.

After a moment of silence, Zephyr slowly spoke: "To be fair, I choose Akainu!"

"But if we are talking about caring for the Marines, it should be Aokiji..."

Kizaru sneered, "Zephyr-sensei, you really know how to play both sides, don't you?~"

"You brat!"

Zephyr turned and glared, making Kizaru, who was about to tease further, swallow his words.

A moment later, Kizaru took a sip of liquor and smiled:
"Zephyr-sensei, you actually don't need to go to this battle."
"That guy Akainu will definitely crush Aokiji with absolute dominance."

Zephyr didn't understand and asked, "Why?"

"Because the current Akainu is too strong, almost ridiculously so," Kizaru said with a meaningful smile.

Akainu had warned him never to reveal any information related to Kayle. Otherwise... Kizaru was genuinely afraid Akainu would break his legs.

"Hmph!"

"Look at Akainu, then look at yourself. Even Aokiji has stronger Haki than you! Your talent was the best among the three, yet you ended up relying entirely on your Devil Fruit ability." Zephyr snorted coldly, wishing he could drag Kizaru back for retraining.

In his youth, Kizaru was dubbed a "Monster" due to his immense strength and outstanding performance. But now? Lazy all day, slacking off at work, and spending money in the red-light district when he had nothing to do!

How could this not infuriate Zephyr?

"Zephyr-sensei is still as strict as ever,~" Kizaru said. "Why don't... you test my swordsmanship right now?"

Light emanated from Kizaru's hands, as if the Kusanagi sword would unsheathe in the next second to "slay his master."

"Hahaha, fine! I don't mind warming up a bit," Zephyr grinned, his battle intent surging.

Seeing this, Ron smiled helplessly. No wonder in the original story, when Kizaru wanted to kill Zephyr, his Yasakani no Magatama didn't miss by a millimeter, whereas when dealing with the Straw Hat Pirates, it looked like he was handing out gifts.

So this was the reason... Zephyr really couldn't stand the sight of Kizaru!

Just as the master and disciple were about to clash, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out:
"Don't hold me back! It's rare to meet old friends. It would be too impolite of me not to go up and say hello."

Kizaru and Zephyr turned toward the voice, their pupils contracting instantly.

Is that... Roger?

Zephyr thought his eyes were playing tricks on him and rubbed them in disbelief.

When the two had entered the tavern, Rayleigh, Gaban, and the other crew members had specially hidden Roger under the table to avoid trouble. Who would have thought... this restless captain of theirs would crawl out on his own and boastfully greet them.

Damn it, that's an Admiral and a former Marine Admiral right there!

If the news of Roger's resurrection got out, not only would the entire ocean boil, but the Marines would also spare no expense to capture him!

"How are you...?" Zephyr asked, utterly bewildered.

Only to be interrupted by Roger: "Ron resurrected me. Rest assured, now that I'm back, I won't go out to sea, nor will I cause any trouble."

Hearing this, the faces of the Roger Pirates members darkened instantly.

Damn it, how is this not causing trouble? Letting the Marines know you're alive is the biggest trouble of all!

"Whether it causes trouble or not is a matter for later. I have to report this to Sengoku-san first. Pirate King Roger resurrected... how scary,~" Kizaru said, pulling a Transponder Snail from his pocket.

The call connected quickly, and Sengoku's serious voice came through:
"What is it?"

Kizaru smiled bitterly and said, "Roger has been resurrected."

Sengoku: "..."